Pierce the Darkness
by The Last Saskatchewan Demigod
Summary: Axel Pierce is a son of Erebus. When his father threatens to destroy everything that Percy Jackson and the rest of the Seven have fought to preserve, Axel is called upon as the Olympians' last hope. However, when Axel is betrayed by those closest to him, will he return to defend them? Or will he allow the world to be consumed by darkness?
1. I Hide in the Shadows

**What's up everybody? I've had this idea for a PJO fanfic kicking around in my head for a few weeks, so I finally decided it sit down and write it. Read and review, tell me if it's awesome, it sucks, or even if you don't care, throw me a review. It makes me feel good about myself. So, without further ado, I present to you **_**Pierce the Darkness**_**.**

Thunder rumbled and rain poured down on my head. I put up the hood of my black and green jacket, wishing that I had power over the weather instead of the shadows. That was, after all, the very reason I was in this mess in the first place. However, I had no time to reminisce over my problems. I had to keep moving so that the campers wouldn't find me. None of them understood what I was; all they knew about me was what that idiotic son of Poseidon had been feeding them since my arrival at that wretched place. He and his girlfriend (some bimbo named Annabeth) had been saying I was a threat to everyone. A freak. In a way, I supposed they were right; I was an abomination. Nothing like me had ever been created before, and nothing ever would again, now that my father's "experiment" had gone so horribly awry.

I needed to rest. I had been running for days, never stopping for fear of being discovered. I was hunted, like an animal. I had to stop and organize my thoughts. Lightning crashed overhead, illuminating the skyline. I spotted an old, decrepit, building tucked away in an alley. I allowed myself a small smile of satisfaction and melted into a shadow, reappearing on the roof of the structure. I kicked open the rusted door leading down into the building and slid inside. Once inside the darkened rooms, I closed my eyes, remembering all the events that had led up to my unfortunate situation.

**FLASHBACK**

(3rd Person POV)

The young half-blood struggled to move his legs forward, desperately trying to drag the heavy sandbags that weighed him down towards the top of an enormous hill. Through his weary stupor, he heard his father's voice, sharper than the blade of the katana strapped to the fourteen year-old's back.

"Come on, Axel," the commanding tone bellowed from the top of the hill. "This will seem like a walk through the meadow if you fail to get yourself up this hill immediately!"

Nearly crying with exhaustion, the teenager lunged forward, clawing at the grass with his hands as his feet fought to gain a hold on the slippery hillside. As he neared the top, he managed to make out the shape of his father standing with his arms crossed. His black hair and eyes perfectly matched the scowl on his face as he watched his son slowly drag himself to the peak of the massive hill. Once Axel reached the top, a black stopwatch materialized in his father's right hand.

"3 minutes and 49 seconds," he read. "That's a full 20 seconds faster than your previous time."

"Did I do well, Father?" Axel asked, his dark purple eyes glinting with hope. "Are you pleased?"

"Of course not!" snapped Axel's father. "How can I be pleased when your time is still fifty seconds too slow? How can I be pleased when you lay at my feet like a dog, wheezing after just a few short hours of exercise? How can I be pleased when my son is _a weakling like you?_" He hissed the final few words, spitting them out like they had a vile taste in his mouth.

Angry flames burned away the hope and self-pride that had been clear in Axel's eyes just moments ago.

"I am no weakling," he snarled, a dangerous edge in his voice.

"Then prove it," his father spat back, drawing a massive broadsword from a shadowy sheath at his side.

Shadows swirled around Axel then pulled away, revealing jet-black armor that matched his hair. From his back, he drew his katana, _Tantibus_. The sword mixed two of the more rare sacred metals, Stygian Iron and Adamantium, giving it a hypnotizing silver-and-black look. Before Axel could do anything else, his father charged forward, lashing out with his sword. Axel ducked low under the blade, rolled to the side and swept his father's feet out from under him. Before he could strike, his father melted away. On instinct, the demigod spun around and barely managed to block the massive broadsword. His father leaped out of the shadow behind him, forcing him into a defensive mode. He tried to spot holes in his father's onslaught, but the older man's technique was nearly flawless. Suddenly, his katana was knocked from his hands. The disarming maneuver was followed by a heavy kick that sent Axel sprawling. As his father leapt at him to finish the fight, Axel yanked at a black wristband hanging on his left arm. A small tomahawk appeared in his hands. He blocked the incoming strike from his opponent's sword and threw himself into a backflip, kicking the sword away from the two warriors. He landed on his feet, holding the tomahawk to his adversary's neck.

"Yield, Father," he smirked. Instead of an admittance of surrender, all he received was a sneer. Suddenly, Axel sensed a shadow creeping toward him. In his split second of hesitation, his father knocked away the tomahawk and drew a large knife in one fluid motion. He slammed the hilt against his son's head, then pushed him backwards. Dazed, Axel stumbled back only to be swept off his feet by the shadow he had been distracted by earlier. The blade of his father's knife pressed against his neck.

"I yield," he growled.

"You see? You are still weak. Your hesitation cost you your victory," his father declared.

"So because I show mercy, I am penalized? How is that fair?" Axel exclaimed, astonished by his father's injustice.

"This 'mercy', as you call it, is simply an excuse for your weakness, and it will be the end of you someday," Axel's father laughed maliciously. "You are dismissed for today."

Unable to find words to express his rage, Axel stormed away. In his place, a beautiful woman with dark hair and purple eyes stepped out of the shadows.

"You should not be so hard on him, Erebus," she scolded.

Erebus laughed. "I did not think you would grow so fond of my child with a _mortal_ woman, Nyx."

Nyx scowled at the mention of her husband's mention of Axel's birth mother. "Ever since you caused her 'unfortunate accident', I decided to raise the boy as my own. That includes caring for his well-being."

"I am caring for his well-being," sneered Erebus. "By making sure he is powerful enough to overcome any of those foolish Olympians."

"Just be careful how you tread, Husband," warned Nyx. "Push him too far and you will give yourself a powerful enemy." With that, she flashed away.

**END FLASHBACK **

(Axel POV)

The squealing of tires interrupted my little jaunt down memory lane. I looked through the old, dusty window and saw two white vans come screeching to a halt in front of the building. Dozens of teenagers in orange T-shirts came spilling out of both vehicles.

"Are you sure he's here, Grover?" I heard the blonde daughter of Athena ask the satyr.

"Of course I'm sure, Annabeth," came the satyr's voice. "I did the tracking spell perfectly."

"Good enough for me," said the moronic son of Poseidon that stood with his arm draped around Annabeth's shoulders. "Everybody, storm the building!"

With a roar, the campers came stampeding up the rotting wooden steps that led to my hideout. I rolled my eyes at their stupidity. They hadn't even left one scout outside to alert them if I was escaping. I unlatched the window and pushed it open, allowing the wind and rain access to the small room I had discovered.

"No rest for the wicked, I suppose," I grumbled. With that, I leapt through the window and back into the storm.

_Tantibus_- Latin word for "nightmare"

**And first chapter DONE. So what do you think? Let me know what you think. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up pretty soon, but until then, you'll just have to wonder who Axel really is. Catch you guys later.**


	2. I Fail a Test

**What's up guys? I'm back already with another update; two chapters in two days! That's right, be impressed. The next couple of chapters will deal with how Axel became a fugitive and all the people he meets during that time period. Anyways, here's chapter two. **

(3rd person POV)

Sixteen year-old Axel sprinted up the hill, hardly even noticing the sandbags that had been the bane of his existence for the past four years. As he ran, he saw his adopted mother out in the distance, her violet eyes glowing with pride in her son. After his birth mother, Lucie Pierce, had died in a bizarre accident when Axel was young, Nyx had raised him as her own, caring for him throughout the brutal training regimens that his father forced upon him.

As the thought of Erebus entered his mind, Axel scowled and spat on the ground. Their spar and short conversation about Axel's "weakness" three years ago still held firm in his mind. Erebus's casual attitude toward mercy led Axel to believe he had no feeling in him, only the desire to conquer and rule. Axel shook his head at such thoughts. No matter what, Erebus was still his father. He loved his son; he just had a different way of showing it.

At least, that was what Nyx insisted after every insult and every injury that came Axel's way as a result of his father's insane exercise routines.

But all that would change today. Axel was sure of it. Today was the day he would complete his training, and his father would finally look him in the eye as an equal. As he neared the top of the final hill, he saw the familiar scowl and stopwatch that he had come to associate with his father. He surged forward, cresting the top of the hill with a proud smile on his face.

"2 minutes and 36 seconds," came his father's low rumbling voice. "Not bad."

"Not bad! Not bad!" Axel laughed incredulously. "That's 24 seconds faster than the time requirement you set on me the first day we started this insanity!"

"Very well, my son," the voice grumbled again. "If you believe yourself worthy of becoming my lieutenant-"

"I know I am," Axel interrupted.

"-then tomorrow you will face the final challenge. Complete that, and I will deem you worthy of serving at my side," Erebus finished.

"Very well, Father," Axel said. "I will see you in the arena at dawn." He walked away, down the hill and towards the small hut he had lived in for his entire life.

Nyx swirled into view next to Erebus.

"What will you do if he refuses to complete the challenge?" she questioned anxiously.

"If he does not complete the challenge, he will fail," Erebus replied carelessly.

Nyx's eyes widened as she realized the meaning behind her husband's words.

"If you touch one hair on his head…" she began, but Erebus cut her off with a mirthless laugh.

"And what will you do?" he smirked. "We both know your oath prevents you from taking any action against me. Besides, it won't matter. Axel _will_ complete the final challenge. I have erased any trace of the weaknesses his foolish mother left in him." With that final declaration, Erebus flashed away.

"I pray that you are wrong, Husband," Nyx whispered.

_Line Break_

Axel strode confidently toward the arena, his mind free of any doubts or misgivings. His training had prepared him for any situation that his father could throw at him; he was sure of it. _Tantibus_ was strapped to his back, the leather strap encircling his black and green jacket. The sleeves were rolled up to reveal a single black wristband, which Axel could pull to summon his tomahawk. The hood, which was enchanted to always hide his face, was pulled back, revealing his deep purple eyes and jet-black hair, which was cut to a medium length. However, Axel was not counting on his magic weapons or his dashing good looks and charm to allow him to coast through this final challenge. A decade of training that had begun when he could walk and the blood of one of the most powerful primordial gods were the two things that he knew would determine his fate in the arena. He took a deep breath, and stepped into the massive arena.

(Axel POV)

I was confused. In the arena, there was no gigantic monster. No impossible obstacle course. No targets or training dummies. There was only my father, with a strange shape at his feet. I took another look at the shape and was astonished.

"Father, that's a…" my voice trailed off as I realized what my final challenge was.

"This, Axel, is your final challenge. Kill this pitiful mortal, and join my side as my immortal lieutenant," Erebus said to me. His tone told me I had no decision in this matter, but I had other ideas.

I put an edge of steel in my voice. "Father, I will not kill a human in cold blood without a valid reason. I don't suppose you have one of those lying around here, do you?" That was something I seriously doubted. The arena was emptier than Moros's friends list on Facebook. Guess that's what happens when you're the God of Doom.

"Here's your 'valid reason'," my father snarled. "Either the mortal dies, or you do."

I narrowed my eyes. "I will not disobey my mother's final wish just so you can make me into some cold, merciless killer like you."

"Very well, then, child," Erebus spat. "It appears I have wasted sixteen years of my life trying to mold you into something worthwhile."

Faster than thought, he lunged at me, broadsword slashing through the air. I flinched, but felt nothing. Looking up, I saw Nyx's pitch black knives holding back Erebus's sword from my neck.

"Run, Axel!" she yelled. "I cannot fight him, but I can defend you. Now GO!"

Something inside me told me not to argue. I sprinted out of the arena, trying to ignore the fact that I had just abandoned my adoptive mother to a fight she could not win against the man who I once called Father. I ran, my only hope that Nyx would be able to escape once she sensed that I was safe. I sprinted into the woods, spurred on by the furious bellows of my father.

"You are dead to me, Axel Pierce! Do you hear me? You are no son of mine! When I see you again, you will beg for death, and I will deliver it unto you!"

**That's chapter two done. Axel has escaped! What will happen to him? What about Nyx? I guess you'll have to wait and find out! Hahaha! Send me a review; all they do is help.**

**Shout-out to Zachariah Drake for my very first review! You're awesome bro. Thanks for the support!**


	3. I Meet the Eternal Man-Haters

**What's up guys? Man, three chapters in three days; I am rolling through this story. I wonder how long I can keep this up before reality catches up to me. That's enough out of me, though. Here's chapter three.**

(Axel POV)

I had been running through the woods surrounding my former home for about a week. Luckily, I had come across a creek not too long after fleeing the arena, so I had no problem with water. Food, on the other hand, was a real issue. I hadn't eaten since my emergency ambrosia ran out two days ago. I was slowly going delirious from hunger. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I dropped to my knees and waited for the slow, unpleasant death of starvation. However, I suppose the Fates had a different idea for my life, because just then my demise was averted by the arrival of a person I had been hoping to see for a week.

"Axel! Axel, are you okay?" Nyx asked me in a worried tone.

I smiled. "Hello, mother. Don't you know it's rude to interrupt people when they're slowly wasting away in the wilderness?"

Nyx laughed bitterly at my sarcasm. "I'm sorry my son, but that so-called father of yours made me a little later than I would have liked. I could have escaped much more quickly if not for the oath I swore preventing me from physically harming him."

"That piece of filth will pay for what he has done to us," I snarled.

"The time for revenge will come, my son, but it is not today," Nyx said softly. "You have other things you must address before you challenge your father."

"What other things?" I questioned her.

"Well, for one thing, happy birthday, Axel!" she said with a small smile. I realized that she was actually right, it was October 31, my birthday. I laughed at the irony: here it was, my seventeenth birthday, and I was trudging through the woods, half-starved to death, fleeing from my father who wanted to kill me. I was shaken from my thoughts when Nyx pulled out a black box and handed it to me. I gave her a curious look.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Why don't you open it and find out?" she asked in reply.

I lifted the top off the box to find ten black throwing knives along with a belt for carrying them.

"Whoa," I said breathlessly. "These are amazing." Thanks to my years of training, I had plenty of knowledge in dealing with throwing knives.

Nyx smiled. "The knives are enchanted to return to your belt a few minutes after you throw them. I hope they will serve you well, for you have many trials ahead of you before you can challenge your father."

Something in her voice made me look up at her questioningly, but before I could ask her about it, she spun around with a startled look on her face.

"Someone is coming," she whispered. "Hide, Axel." With that, she melted into the shadow of a nearby tree. I barely had enough time to finish strapping the belt around my waist and holstering the knives when a girl in a silver parka came walking into view.

I rolled my eyes. Great, just what I needed: a group of lethal man-haters armed to the teeth and wandering around the same forest I was in. I barely managed to dive into a shadow and reappear on the branch of a tall tree before the girl looked in my direction.

"Could've sworn I heard voices coming from over here…" she muttered to herself. Once settled into the tree, I was able to get a better look at her. Along with her parka and bow, she wore a silver tiara that seriously took away from the whole Goth look she was trying to pull. A black T-shirt and jeans matched her shoulder length black hair, and her electric blue eyes seemed to stare a hole into every single thing she looked at. I was about to shadow travel away when I heard a deep voice call out.

"Thalia! Little half-sister, how are you?" a large man spoke from not too far away. My eyes narrowed; I knew who that voice belonged to: Heracles, minor god and most honored son of Zeus.

Thalia-I guess that was the girl's name- turned and sighed. "What do you want, Heracles?"

"What? I need a reason to see my favorite half-sister?" Heracles looked offended.

"Favorite half-sister?" Thalia raised an eyebrow. "You haven't said five words to me in my whole life."

Heracles laughed a bitter laugh. "I guess that's right. We haven't ever spoken before." Suddenly, his voice got dangerously low. "So what gives you the right to go around spreading lies about my past?"

Thalia looked shocked. "What the Hades are you talking about, you psycho?"

"You didn't think I wouldn't find out?" Heracles sounded a little hysterical. "Those lies you and the rest of Artemis's little pack of brats have been spreading about me 'betraying' the great and wonderful Zoe Nightshade? I know what you've been saying about me, and I'm here to stop it."

Before Thalia or I could even move, Heracles' hand moved with lightning speed, backhanding the black-haired girl backwards and into a tree with a heavy crash.

(Thalia POV)

When my insane half-brother attacked me, I didn't even have time to think. All I knew was that I was standing up one moment, and the next, I was crashing into a giant tree. I sat up, my head throbbing and my vision cloudy. I could just make out Heracles stalking towards me, his giant club in hand and a maniacal look in his eye. Suddenly, a figure stepped out of the shadow behind him, his face shrouded by the hood of the black and green jacket he wore. I heard him yell at Heracles.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Zeus's golden boy himself. This must be my lucky day."

Heracles whirled around to face the guy, only to laugh in derision.

"What are you gonna do, little midget? Beat up my kneecaps?" He laughed at his own joke. I had to admit, Heracles had a point. I mean, the guy could've only been five foot ten at the most.

The kid laughed along with Heracles, then stopped. "You know, that's a pretty good idea."

Like lightning, two pitch black throwing knives appeared in the kid's hands. He flung them both, burying the two projectiles in my brother's shoulders. As Heracles roared in pain, the kid dashed forward, pulling at a black wristband on his left arm. A small thing that looked a little like an ax appeared in his hands. He swung the weapon quickly, catching Heracles in the hip. My brother fell to the ground writhing in pain. Before he could try and roll away, the kid swung the ax-thing again, burying the blade in Heracles right knee. The minor god screamed in pain. From his back, the short guy pulled out a sword that looked like the ones samurai used to use. He swung the flat of the blade into the injured knee. Finally, he pulled out another throwing knife and buried it into Heracles' left knee. He sheathed his sword and the ax-thing turned back into a wristband.

He turned towards me, and I couldn't help but flinch. I had just seen this kid turn one of the most powerful warriors in the world into a blubbering heap on the ground in a matter of minutes. He seemed to notice my apprehension and grinned. Pulling off his hood, he walked towards me.

"Don't worry, I promise not to shatter your knees. You're gonna need them if you keep trying to tackle trees." I was confused by this statement until I realized he was mocking me. I glared up at his purple eyes (wait, _purple_ eyes? weird) only to find they were twinkling with mirth.

"You do realize you're making fun of an injured maiden, right?" I growled up at him.

"Oh dear, I hadn't realized," he said, his grin not leaving his face. He gave an exaggerated bow, and announced in a pretentious voice, "I, Axel Pierce, do hereby apologize to this wounded maiden. I shall now give her assistance until she no longer requires it."

I couldn't help it; I had to laugh at his ridiculous antics. His eyes became filled with concern when he realized that I still hadn't gotten up.

"Can you stand?" he asked me.

I started to get up, but the whole world started to tilt sideways. Before I fell, he managed to jump forward and catch me. He swept my feet out from under me and started to carry me.

"I'm fine. I can walk by myself," I growled.

He laughed again. "Sure you can. I also like to stumble around like I'm drunk when I walk. Where's your camp?"

Grudgingly, I told him where the rest of the girls were camped. He walked us in that direction, and before long, we had reached the silver tents of the Hunt.

"Ok, this is far enough," I said with concern. I might have been alright with guys because of Percy, but the rest of the Hunters hated all males with a passion.

He just grinned at me. "Don't worry; I know what I'm doing." With that, he walked straight into the middle of the camp, carrying me the whole way. I could feel the furious eyes of every hunter in sight on the pair of us; he, on the other hand, looked like he was walking through a peaceful meadow. Suddenly, I heard the very thing I had been worried about: my mistress, Artemis.

"Put that girl down you filthy male!" she shrieked and fired several arrows in our direction.

Laughing, the kid placed me in the arms of a surprised hunter, then sprinted away, dodging arrows left and right. Any minute now, I expected him to be struck by an arrow, but he simply weaved his way in and out of a literal storm of arrows, looking like he was having the best time of his life. When he reached the edge of the camp, he winked and gave the Hunters a good-bye wave, which only served to enrage them further. As they drew back their bowstrings for a final assault, he dove into a shadow and disappeared.

Artemis stalked back towards me, her normally calm face flushed with rage.

"Thalia, who was that person?!" she asked me angrily.

I merely stared at the spot where my rescuer had disappeared.

"I honestly have no idea, milady."

**Another chapter done! Axel has met Thalia and the Hunters! How will this affect them? Where will Axel go next? All this and more coming up soon! **

**Don't forget to review; it really helps me out.**


	4. I Become a Cartoon Character

(Axel POV)

I laughed as I ran through the forest and away from the Hunters' camp. The look on their faces when I waved to them was absolutely priceless. Unfortunately for me, the adrenaline from my little skirmish with Heracles and successful escape from the immortal Girl Scouts was quickly draining away as my body realized that it still hadn't eaten for days. Once again, I was relieved to see the shape of my adoptive mother appear in front of me.

"I see you've already been putting your birthday present to good use," she said with an amused smile. "Heracles probably won't fully recover from that for a few weeks at the least."

"Well, when there's a pretty girl to save, I tend to go a little overboard," I replied with a grin.

"Oh, a _pretty_ girl, hmm?" Nyx looked at me knowingly.

"Mom, no, ugh," I groaned in exasperation. "It would never work out. First of all, I probably won't ever see her again. And even if I did, she's a Hunter. You know, maidens for all eternity and all that jazz. Anyway, can we drop the subject? I'm starving. I haven't eaten in two whole days."

Nyx rolled her eyes at my complaints and shadow travelled away. Moments later, she returned with a bag full of food from wherever the closest grocery store was. I didn't really care; at that point, I just wanted the food to be in my stomach. In a few minutes, I had inhaled everything in the bag. Once I finished the food, I was reminded of my true predicament. I looked up at Nyx.

"Mother, what am I doing? I'm running around these woods with no sense of direction, no purpose, no supplies, and no way to get revenge on Erebus."

Nyx looked at me with apprehension. "I have an idea, but you won't like it at all."

I narrowed my eyes. "Well, what is it?"

She eyed me warily before replying, "There's always the Greek camp."

I laughed, incredulous that she would even suggest something like that.

"Are you crazy, mother? Have you forgotten who my father is? The Greeks will destroy me as soon as they learn of my parentage."

"You will be dead anyway if you don't find a better way to survive and gain allies against your father," Nyx replied. "Keep your heritage a secret, at least until you have enough allies to defeat your father. I will transport you to the camp's boundaries, but you will have to walk in alone to avoid suspicion."

I sighed in resignation, knowing she was right.

"Fine, I'll go. But on one condition," I said, a smile returning to my face as a plan formed in my mind.

Nyx looked at me, confused. "What condition?"

_Line Break_

(Percy POV)

After the war with the Giants, I had expected life around Camp Half-Blood to settle down. There were no more big prophecies, no more powerful enemies, and even the difficulty with the Romans had been settled. I was looking forward to spending the rest of my years at camp relaxing with Annabeth and the rest of my friends.

I don't think I've ever been so wrong in my life.

Three weeks after the end of the Second Giant War, a new half-blood showed up at camp. His name was Roger, and he was my half-brother. He was the same age as me, eighteen, and I knew right away he was going to be trouble. As soon as he got to camp, he started telling everyone there that he was the greatest hero since Hercules. The weird part was, most of the camp believed him. The only people who didn't seem to be affected by his presence were Nico, Clarisse, Chris Rodriguez, Katie, Travis, Connor, Will Solace, and Annabeth. Even Grover seemed to be swayed by my half-brother's claims and lies. By October, he had everyone in the camp except for my closest friends eating out of the palm of his hand. It didn't really bother me, though. As long as he left me alone and didn't have some sort of ulterior motive for being at camp, I could care less how many people followed him around. But things really started getting weird when a new demigod showed up at camp late one night. Annabeth and I were on border patrol (just to be safe) along with one of the newer campers when we saw a figure come walking closer to the camp's borders.

"Who goes there?" I yelled out into the dark.

"I mean you no harm," came the reply from the short figure, who by now had reached the foot of the hill. "I'm a half-blood like you, and I'm coming to camp to train."

Before I could reply again, Nick, the younger kid on patrol with us, interrupted.

"I'm going to go get Roger," he said, standing up.

"Why?" I replied. "Since when is Roger in charge of who is allowed in camp?"

I would have continued, but Annabeth stopped me.

"Just let him go," she said. "It'll only be a couple minutes."

I looked at her questioningly, but she made no eye contact, simply waving Nick off.

A few minutes later Roger, along with the entire rest of the camp, arrived at the hill. He stood up to his full height, puffed out his chest and called down to the figure who was waiting patiently at the bottom of the hill.

"What is your business with my camp, punk?" he said arrogantly. "And why do hide your face like a coward?"

I had to agree with one point: the kid at the bottom of the hill wore a black and green hoodie that covered his face from every angle. Before Roger could continue, the kid laughed and pulled off his hood, revealing his face for everyone to see.

(Axel POV)

Though I didn't like being forced to go to the Greeks' camp, I did enjoy the disguise I had picked out for myself. I pulled off my hood so that everyone would be able to admire it.

I had changed my eyes from purple to green, and my hair was now white instead of black. I couldn't help it; I changed myself into my favorite cartoon character: Danny Phantom. It made a little sense, to me at least. Danny was a half-ghost, and I was a half-blood, son of shadows. Either way, I thought I looked awesome.

After recovering from his initial shock, the arrogant little brat at the top of the hill continued yelling at me.

"My name is Roger Wang, son of Poseidon. I am the leader of Camp Half-Blood, and the greatest hero since Hercules!" he called. "What is your name?"

I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud. Seriously? His name was Wang? I had to at least have a little fun with the guy.

"Hello, Roger Wang, greatest hero since Hercules. I am but a lowly demigod, seeking refuge at this camp. My name is Mike Awk." Unoriginal? Yes. But still funny? Of course.

The entire crowd gathered up on the hill burst into laughter as they realized my name was a joke. Roger's face reddened with anger as he realized that I was mocking him.

"You think you're clever, punk? I could crush you in a duel without even blinking," he snarled.

"Oh, yeah? You're totally on, _Wang_," I called, emphasizing his last name.

An ugly sneer came over his face.

"Perfect, newbie. Meet in the arena, at dawn. I'll even let you get all settled into your new cabin," he called over his shoulder, walking away. Most of the crowd went with him, until only three people were left. Two looked so similar that they could have been twins, while the third was the blonde chick I had seen on top of the hill before everyone else had come.

I walked up the hill to greet them, and one of the twins waved at me.

"Hey bro, welcome to Camp Half-Blood. My name is Travis, and this is my brother, Connor. We're the head counselors for the Hermes cabin, where you'll be staying for now," the kid said. He and his brother grinned mischievously. "That was a pretty awesome way to make an entrance to camp, challenging Roger like that. Most of the new kids just let him walk all over them, so it's good to see someone besides us sticking it to him for a change. Hopefully, you can beat the crap out of him tomorrow and really get him ticked off," Travis finished.

The blonde girl looked at the two sons of Hermes with doubt in her eyes. "I doubt that Roger will have much trouble against this kid. No offense, but he _is_ one the best swordsmen in camp."

Connor laughed incredulously at her. "Are you kidding me? Percy, Nico, and Clarisse all thrashed him last time he dueled them. Heck, I almost beat him for crying out loud!"

Travis nodded, agreeing with his brother. "Dude's a hack. He's all talk and no walk."

The blonde chick shook her head at the two. "I'm just saying, he is the leader of the camp. You guys should at least try to show him a little respect." She walked away, disappearing quickly into the darkness.

Travis looked at his brother. "What's up with Annabeth? She's being all defensive of Roger all of a sudden."

Connor just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I have no idea, dude." He turned to me. "Well, what do you say we head back to the cabin for the night? I'm looking forward to you kicking the crap out of that little snot tomorrow."

I just laughed.

"Me too."

_Line Break_

The sun was just starting to make its way over the horizon when I made my way down to the arena with the Stoll brothers. Last night, they had been insisting on taking me to the camp armory until I showed them my katana and told them I would be fine. As I walked down to the arena, I drew the sword from its sheath on my back and spun it around a few times. The morning breeze ruffled my white hair as I entered the ring. Most of the campers were seated already, and I caught more than a few glances as they saw me coming in. Roger was on the other side of the arena, wielding a large, two-handed sword. I rolled my eyes at his basic style of fighting; he clearly relied on strength over skill. He looked up and saw me watching him, and another sneer crossed his face.

"Ready to get pummeled, chump?" he said.

I laughed at the arrogant tone in his voice and merely nodded.

A large centaur stepped forward, concern evident on his face as he looked at me. Clearly, he didn't think a new camper could cut it in the arena. I was ready to prove a whole lot of people wrong about me.

"The rules are as follows," the centaur called. "First to force the other into submission or unconsciousness wins. No killing allowed. Please try to avoid too much maiming," he finished, looking at Roger as he said the last rule.

"Begin!" he called.

As I expected, Roger came barreling straight at me, sword held high, obviously expecting me to try and block his high-to-low chop. Instead, I sheathed _Tantibus_ and rolled to the side. The momentum from his attack caused him to stumble and fall flat on his face. I pulled on my wristband, causing my tomahawk to appear in my right hand. Roger scrambled to his feet, glaring at me.

"Careful," I said. "I think the arena floor might be a little uneven there."

Instead of replying, he growled and ran at me again. As he swung his sword, I used my tomahawk to deflect it away from me and punched him in the face with my left hand. He stumbled back a few feet, then ran at me again. This time, I stood my ground, bracing my feet against the sandy floor. As his weapon crashed into mine, I twisted the tomahawk so that the head was hooked around the blade of the sword. With a swift yank, I pulled his sword from his hands, causing it to fall to the ground behind me. I slid my foot around his and gave him a hard push forward. He fell backwards, tripping over my foot. As soon as he hit the ground, my tomahawk was hovering an inch above his throat.

"I yield," he growled after a moment of silence.

I turned my tomahawk back into a wristband and started walking away from him. Suddenly, I heard the crowd gasp. Instinctively, I threw myself to the side. Several gallons of water and ice went flying by my ear. I turned and saw Roger with his arm up, summoning more water. Without hesitation, I grabbed a knife from my belt and flung it with precise accuracy. The weapon lodged itself in his hand, effectively rendering it useless. He let out a scream of agony at the sight of his wounded hand. I ran at him as he tried to pick himself up from the ground. I threw a heavy punch into his jaw, knocking him back down. A swift kick to the temple quickly sent him to the pleasant land of unconsciousness. I grinned and turned back to the crowd. It was time for a little show of bravado.

"Is that the best Camp Half-Blood has to offer me?" I yelled. "Here I am, a lowly unclaimed demigod, and yet I can easily crush your mighty leader like a pesky gnat! Is there anyone else who would like to fight me?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Travis, Connor, and a few other kids sitting off by themselves. They seemed to be whispering something urgently to one kid who looked to be about my age.

His wild black hair and sea-green eyes easily marked him as another son of Poseidon, but he seemed different from the sorry lump on the ground at my feet. Finally, he stood up and walked out of the stands and towards me.

He sighed. "I guess it's my job to show you that there are higher caliber demigods in this camp than that idiot lying on the ground."

I was impressed by his calm demeanor. He must be pretty confident to talk that kind of trash about his supposed "leader". Suddenly, I realized that this was no ordinary half-blood. This was-

"My name is Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

**Dun dun dun! Percy has challenged Axel to a duel! Who will be the victor? How will the rest of the campers treat Axel now that he has kicked the crap out of their leader? Guess there's only one way to find out: Come back next time! Thanks for reading and reviewing; it helps me out a lot.**


	5. My Dad is a Party Pooper

**Hey guys I know it's been a while. Sorry about that. My laptop crashed and left me without anyway to be able to update for a while. But it's all good now :). Hopefully, this extra long chapter makes up for it.**

**In case I haven't said it before, I only own Axel. If I had created Percy Jackson or any other super popular entertainment franchise , I wouldn't still be slaving away in high school.**

(Axel POV)

"My name is Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

My father had told me about this kid's accomplishments over the years, and I have to say they were impressive. When you win two wars single-handedly, you become pretty well-known all over the mythological world. And yet, here he was, content to stay in his camp with his friends instead of taking advantage of his immense fame. If I was the two-time Savior of Olympus, I'd be yelling about it from the rooftops. As he neared me, I could feel the confidence rolling off him in waves. He wasn't cocky, but he knew what he could do and trusted his own abilities.

I grinned. He'd make the perfect ally against my father.

"So, Percy Jackson, Savior of Olympus," I said with a slight note of respect in my voice. "I've heard a lot about you. Winning two wars makes you a pretty infamous character."

He just shrugged. "I had some help from my friends." He gestured to the stands where he had been sitting moments ago. I caught a glimpse of Travis, Connor, Annabeth, and a few other kids before he turned back around to face me.

"So your name probably isn't Mike, right?" he questioned me. "Do you have a real name, or do you just hide it behind penis jokes all the time?" He smirked a little.

I laughed and took a low bow, the hood on my jacket sweeping close to the ground. "Axel Pierce, at your service." I looked up into the stands and saw the rest of the campers growing restless. "Well, we should probably get started. Don't want the kids in the stands to get bored."

He chuckled and nodded his head. He took a couple steps away from me, then took a pen out of his pocket. The pen immediately elongated into a bronze sword, and his wristwatch spiraled into a round shield. I drew _Tantibus_ from my back and pulled on my wristband, causing my tomahawk to appear in my right hand. I looked at him, and we both nodded.

On an unspoken signal, we started circling each other. Suddenly, he leaped at me, slashing downwards, hoping to catch me off-guard. I dodged and rolled out of the way. He immediately swung at me again, but I was already moving, staying out of the way of his sword. My katana whistled toward his ear, but he deflected with his shield. His blade came at me again, but I brought my tomahawk around and stopped his attack. We went around the arena like that for a while, our weapons moving at lightning speed. For a while, the only audible sound in the arena was the sound of swords slamming together over and over again, the audience held spellbound by our rapid back-and-forth movements. Eventually, I grew tired of trying to outlast his stamina. I crossed my katana and tomahawk, forming an X in front of me. Percy's blade crashed into my defense, and I shoved him backwards. As he stumbled away from me, he raised his shield, expecting me to go on the offensive. I ran at him, and, leaping forward, kicked his shield with both my feet. The unexpected force slightly disoriented him, and I swept his feet out from underneath him. He hit the ground and rolled, trying to avoid my sword as it came stabbing downwards at him. I caught the edge of his shield, pulling it free from his arm. As he regained his footing, I ran at him, spinning my katana and tomahawk in an awesome cyclone of death. He managed to block most of my attacks, but a strike from my tomahawk caught him on his sword arm. It wasn't a serious injury, but it was enough to cause him to drop his weapon. I advanced towards him, expecting him to surrender. Instead, he summoned water from the lake and threw it at me. I tried to get out of the way, but another water blast hit me as I dodged the first, and I was knocked off my feet. Percy scrambled towards his sword, but I threw a knife from my place on the ground. It caught him in the shin, and he tumbled to the ground again. I picked up my tomahawk and ran at him as he struggled to stand up again. Percy dove for his sword, but I dropped into a baseball slide, kicking him in the face and away from the blade. In a flash, my tomahawk was at his throat.

"I yield," he said quietly. I grinned and stood up, helping Percy to his feet as well. A blonde kid ran up to us from where Percy had been sitting during my fight with Roger, shock obvious in his eyes.

"That was one Hades of a fight you two just put on. My name's Will Solace, son of Apollo'" he said breathlessly as he handed both of us pieces of ambrosia. The godly food helped heal the achy feeling in my joints and the several nicks I had sustained while dodging Percy's attacks.

Will looked at me cautiously. "You sure can fight. Percy's the best swordsman in this camp."

I grinned. "He fought like the best swordsman in camp, too. I need a cold shower and a nap after a fight like that." With that, I started trudging towards my cabin, sleep the only thing on my mind.

"I'll have Chiron get you a schedule at lunch," Percy called after me. I was so tired from traveling the last week, all I could muster was a thumbs-up as I continued on my way towards a much-needed nap.

_Line Break_

After several weeks at Camp Half-Blood, my life began to fall into a pretty regular pattern. In the mornings, I woke up and went to breakfast with Travis and Connor. Chiron had agreed that I was clearly skilled enough to put my own schedule together, so I usually went into the woods to train by myself after breakfast. I practiced with my weapons, throwing knives and shadow powers, and soon I could sense when people were shadow traveling around me. After lunch, I hung out with Percy and the rest of his friends. Besides Travis, Connor Will, and Annabeth, I also met Nico, Clarisse, Chris, and Katie. I also learned that they knew Thalia, the girl I had rescued from Heracles. I didn't tell them this, since it would have raised more than a few awkward questions. Annabeth was apparently Percy's girlfriend, but they had the weirdest relationship I had ever seen. Every time I saw them together, it seemed like Annabeth was staring off into space while Percy talked. I shrugged it off, thinking she probably acted this way all the time.

As my powers increased, I continued to think of ways I could tell my friends what I was. Eventually, though, I no longer had to worry about this problem.

Because someone else told them for me.

_Line Break_

(3rd Person POV)

Chiron stepped into view at the edge of the woods. Before him stood the crowd of campers, all eager to get started with capture the flag.

"Heroes!" You know the rules! The creek is the boundary! Prisoners may be bound, but not gagged! Tonight, we will be doing things a little differently. Axel Pierce has issued a challenge to all of Camp Half-Blood!" The centaur moved aside to allow Axel to address the crowd.

The black-haired demigod grinned. "I have made a bet with my _good friend_ Roger Wang that I can beat the entire camp in a game of capture the flag with just six other half-bloods." Roger sneered as he said this but remained quiet.

Axel continued. "For my team, I choose Clarisse La Rue, Chris Rodriguez, Travis and Connor Stoll, Katie Gardner, and Percy Jackson. I have left Annabeth Chase, Nico di Angelo, and Will Solace on your team so that you can have a chance."

The campers grew indignant as they realized that he had taken most of the counselors for his team, but Roger spoke up.

"Who needs those losers when you have an awesome leader like me, right?" he yelled. The campers all cheered except for Nico and Will, who were clearly unhappy about their team.

Axel just shook his head. "My team, this way." He and the six other demigods walked away into the forest to hide their flag.

(Axel POV)

We reached the top of a hill deep in the woods and planted our flag. Travis turned to me with doubt in his eyes.

"Dude, I know you're an awesome warrior and all that, but this is the entire camp we're talking about. It's gonna be more than ten to one out there." The rest of my team echoed his statement.

I turned to face them. "Are you kidding? You guys stood against the Titan army in New York! You fought Giants in Greece! You're telling me that six of the most powerful heroes in the world are scared of sixty kids in armor? Come on guys, we got this."

My little speech managed to pick up their spirits.

"So what do you want us to do, Axel?" Percy asked me.

I grinned.

"Katie, you're on defense since you're so good with plants and stuff. Make it as hard as possible for them to get anywhere near this flag." She nodded. "Clarisse and Chris, you guys stay between the creek and the flag. Get in the fray, take out as many campers as you can. Travis and Connor, you guys are the support team. Use every trick you've got to keep the rest of the half-bloods busy. Percy, stay near the creek. You're the most powerful living son of Poseidon. Use that to your advantage." My teammates nodded and set about completing their various tasks.

_Line Break_

Twenty minutes later, we heard the campers coming. They let out a loud roar, and they came sprinting towards our side of the creek. The first dozen to get there were met by a massive wave of freezing cold water. Percy stood on top of the creek, creating a maelstrom of ice cold water and wind. A small group of campers made it past the creek and were met immediately by Clarisse and Chris. The two pounced on the other half-bloods, quickly disarming them or knocking them unconscious. At the same time, another group of about ten campers came sweeping toward our flank, but were stopped by Katie and the Stolls. Vines, massive hedges, and poison ivy combined with all sorts of dastardly pranks and traps to quickly incapacitate the flankers.

"Hold the defenses!" I yelled to my teammates. "I'm going to get the flag." With that, I leaped over the creek and sprinted towards Zeus's Fist, where I was pretty sure Annabeth, Nico, Will, and Roger would be guarding the flag. Suddenly, a blunt arrow went whizzing by my head. I dove for cover and heard Will chuckle from the distance.

"Looks like I've got you all pinned down with no place to go, Axel," he laughed. "Why don't you come on out with your hands-!" He was cut off as a blast of water struck him directly in the face. I took advantage of his temporary blindness to draw a knife from my belt and throw it, slicing his bowstring perfectly. I looked over to see Percy standing with his hand raised, a grin on his face.

"Thought you could use a hand," he snickered.

"You're right; I almost had to start trying there for a second," I replied cockily. Suddenly, I felt a being shadow traveling behind me. I spun and blocked Nico's blade as it came out of a shadow. We locked swords, and I could see the confusion in his eyes. I took advantage of his bewilderment to step inside his guard and slam the hilt of my katana into his skull, knocking him unconscious. I turned and saw Percy dragging Will out of the shadows, a scowl on the blonde boy's face.

"I would have had you if it wasn't for Percy," he grumbled.

I chuckled. "Sure you would have, buddy." I patted his head condescendingly.

He glared up at me, then grinned. "At least now I can watch you beat the crap out of Roger in peace. You better make it a good show. You owe me for the bow you just broke."

"I'll do my very best," I laughed.

Percy and I walked towards Zeus's Fist, Will trailing behind us carrying his unconscious teammate. Suddenly, two figures stepped out from behind the rocks, weapons drawn.

"Zeus's Fist, huh? Kind of obvious for a daughter of Athena," I mocked. Percy snickered in spite of himself, then quickly regained a poker face. Annabeth growled in anger and ran at me, knife drawn and pointed at me. I faked a spin to the right, dodged to the left, and tripped the blonde as she ran past me. She fell and hit the dirt. At the same time, Percy easily blocked Roger's weak strike and kicked him in the stomach. The weaker demigod dropped to the ground.

"Percy, go grab the flag. I owe Will a show." The son of Poseidon laughed and walked over to the rock pile, snatching the flag from the cracks. He gave Annabeth an apologetic look and ran toward the creek.

I turned to face the daughter of Athena. "Well, come on. I don't have all day." She stood up, eyeing me warily.

"You have a sword," she grumbled. "It wouldn't be a fair fight."

I considered this. "That's a cop out, but if you insist..." I sheathed my katana and drew two throwing knives from my belt, holding them in ice-pick grip.

Annabeth laughed in disdain. "That's a beginner's grip."

I just shrugged as Roger finally struggled back to his feet and started towards me. Without even looking at him, I threw one of my knives, burying it in his foot. He screamed in agony and fell to the ground again.

"Not right now, kiddo," I chuckled. "The grownups are talking."

Annabeth's eyes narrowed and she rushed at me. I leaned back and dodged her first strike, then rolled away from her second. I ducked another strike, deflected one more with my own knife, then caught her knife arm. She struggled to free it, but to no avail. I struck her head with the hilt of my knife, sending her into unconsciousness.

I looked over at Will, who was impressed.

"Please save your applause, for the show is not yet over," I announced. Roger had managed to remove the knife from his boot and struggle to his feet once more.

Will shook his head and laughed as the pitiful son of Poseidon limped toward me. I put my knife back in my belt.

"I don't really need a weapon for this, do I, Roger?" I said carelessly. He snarled and advanced toward me, sword drawn and glinting in the moonlight. As he came towards me, he swung his sword horizontally. I jumped back from it, then smashed both of my fists into his face. He stumbled back, but didn't fall. He attacked again, but I dodged it easily, slamming my elbow into the wrist of his sword hand. He dropped his sword with a cry of pain. Anger flashed in his eyes and he leaped forward. I just stood there and let his fist connect with my face. His jaw dropped as I remained perfectly still. I leaned forward.

"My turn," I whispered. I drove my knee into his stomach and grabbed him by the shoulders as he doubled over. I threw him behind me, and he hit the ground hard and rolled. He landed by his sword, which he snatched up off the ground with a maniacal laugh. He slashed wildly at me, but I ducked low under his attack. Then, gathering all my strength, I jumped into a massive uppercut that devastated his jaw. A spray of blood flew up as a few teeth left his mouth. Roger hit the ground flat on his back and laid still, out cold.

"Fatality," I said in my best Mortal Kombat voice.

Will laughed and clapped his hands. I took a deep bow.

"Thank you, thank you, one and all. We here at Pierce Entertainment hope you enjoyed the show. Have a good night everybody," I called jokingly. Just then, the horn rang out throughout the woods. I looked at Will and grinned.

"Perfect timing."

_Line Break_

Ten minutes later, we were all gathered around Chiron at the creek. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Congratulations to Axel Pierce and the rest of his team for winning the game." The seven of us grinned, while most of the other campers merely grumbled. The majority of them were nursing an injury or two, while the rest were simply downcast. They still couldn't believe that I had managed to beat their glorious leader for the second time. As I was about to lead my team away to celebrate, a cry for help rang out through the woods.

From far away, I could just make out Nico as he ran toward us at full speed. He had forgotten his sword and had to go back to get it during the announcement of victory. Close behind him was an animal-like creature that was quickly closing the distance between itself and Nico. It was shaped like a lion with snake's fangs, but it was made completely out of shadow. I gasped as I realized that this thing was one of my father's minions. I had seen a few during my eleven years of training under him. I threw a knife, but the creature saw it coming and dodged it. It continued chasing Nico, who was still too far for me to help. I wanted to protect my identity, but I couldn't just stand by and watch my friend get killed. With a yell of frustration, I jumped into a shadow and appeared right next to the son of Hades. Ignoring the cries of surprise from the campers, I pushed Nico aside and whipped out _Tantibus_. As the beast leaped at me, I willed shadows to thicken in front of me, forming a large shield. The thing bounced off with a yelp of surprise. I jumped forward and stabbed by blade deep into the creature's eye. With a cry of pain, it exploded into shadows and quickly dissipated away.

I turned to face my friends and the other campers. They all had looks of confusion and surprise written across their faces.

"So I guess I owe you guys an explanation, huh?" I said awkwardly.

"I'll say you do," a low voice chuckled malevolently from behind me. I narrowed my eyes as I recognized the voice immediately.

"Hello, Father."

**Bam! Cliffhanger on my first chapter back! What will happen to Axel now that his secret is out? Who will remain by his side when his past his revealed, and who will turn against him? Next chapter will hopefully be up soon! Thanks for all the support and please continue reading and reviewing!**


	6. Percy Rocks Camp Like a Hurricane

(Axel POV)

"Hello, Father."

I turned, expecting to see the man who had raised me standing behind me. Instead, all I saw was a mass of shadows. Slowly, they twisted and mutated into a black resemblance of my father's face. The shadow spoke in the same deep, rumbling voice of my father.

"Why, Axel! It's so good to see you again, my boy," the face said in a falsely pleasant tone. "I haven't seen you in weeks. You little rebel, running off like that. You're becoming more like me every day!"

"I am _nothing_ like you," I snarled.

"Really?" the voice questioned, still in that falsely kind tone. It turned to the campers. "Don't you see the resemblance?" A black stream of energy shot out of the face, hitting me directly in the chest. My disguise was blasted away, my eyes and hair returning to their normal color. Murmurs of shock came from the crowd as the campers all backed away from me. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the nearby creek; I looked just like him. I turned away in disgust.

"Much better," came Erebus's voice from behind me. "Now, Son, I will be at Olympus in three weeks' time with my minions. When I arrive, I will make you my lieutenant, and together we shall rule those foolish gods for all eternity. That is what you have always wanted, right?" Before I could reply, the shadows dissipated and melted away, leaving me standing alone with sixty to seventy half-bloods who were all looking at me with distrust.

Roger broke the awkward silence. "I always knew there was something off about you, scum! No normal half-blood would be able to beat someone as powerful as me! I-!"

He was cut off as Percy shoved him aside and looked me dead in the eyes, betrayal and anger flashing murderously across his face. He drew his sword and pointed it at me.

"Is it true?" he asked me. His voice was deathly calm.

I nodded and spoke. "I am the first half-blood son of Erebus, Primordial God of Shadows." The crowd erupted into chaos, campers shouting for my immediate execution while a few simply cowered in fear.

"SILENCE!" Percy bellowed, instantly quieting the crowd. He turned back to me. "I will give you one chance to explain yourself before I send you straight to Hades."

"Are you sure you want to do this way out here in the forest?" I asked. "I mean, it's a really long story and there's no place to sit-"

"Tell me now, or don't tell me at all," Percy said angrily.

I nodded and began telling him my story.

"My mother's name was Lucie Pierce, and she lived in Chicago, which is where I was born…"

_Line Break_

… and that's how I arrived here at camp," I finished. The story had taken nearly fifteen minutes to tell. "Wow, I never realized how complicated my life was until I heard it out loud."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Will asked me.

"Be honest," I replied. "How would you have reacted if I had told you right when I got to camp?"

A slight look of understanding passed over a few of my friends' eyes. Percy nodded

"Fair enough, I guess," he said. "I'll have my eye on you, but I guess you can stay-"

"No way is that freak staying at my camp!" Roger yelled.

I rolled my eyes, but many campers began to rally behind the ignorant son of Poseidon.

"Yeah!"

"Why should he be here?"

"We don't trust that kid!"

"How could he beat Roger twice?"

"Something's wrong with that freak!"

For a moment, it looked like a full scale riot was about to break out until Chiron stepped in.

"That is enough!" he thundered. "The Ancient Laws state that a two-thirds majority vote is required to expel any demigod from the protection of Camp Half-Blood. There are seventy-two campers, not counting Axel, so a vote of at least forty-eight will be necessary to expel Mr. Pierce. Those of you who wish to exile him come stand on my left, and those of you who do not come stand on my right."

Instantly, Roger and all his lackeys went to Chiron's left side. My heart dropped as I realized that there was no way I could win this vote. Percy, Clarisse, Chris, Travis, Connor, Katie, Nico, and Will all came to stand with me on Chiron's right. Annabeth, however, hesitated, then moved to join Roger on Chiron's left.

"Annabeth? Where are you going?" Percy asked in a confused voice.

"Percy, Axel is too dangerous to be kept around," she explained.

"What are you talking about? He's still our friend," Percy insisted.

"Sometimes, you have to give up some relationships, Percy!" the blonde yelled. "Sometimes, other people have to get out of the way in order for you to get what you want!"

"Well, what do you want, then?" Percy retorted.

"I don't love you anymore, Percy!" Annabeth screamed. The entire camp gasped. Percy looked like he had been punched in the gut.

"What?" he whispered.

"Oh, I don't know how it happened," she said. "It's just, one day, we weren't interesting anymore. And then, Roger showed up, and he just seemed so perfect for me." At this, the cocky moron stepped forward, putting his arm around Annabeth.

The blonde continued. "Then I got to talk to him, and he was so interesting and charming. And what I guess I'm saying is that he's just better for me, you get it?"

"So you mean to tell me that after everything we've been through together, I'm _not good enough_ for you?" Percy said quietly, a dangerous edge to his voice.

"All the quests. All the monsters. All the times we escaped death together. None of that was _good enough_ for you?" His voice was slowly beginning to rise.

"We went through two wars with each other. We fought Titans and Giants and countless other things together. None of that was _good enough_ for you?" Percy was starting to shout now.

"I held up the sky for you, Annabeth! I left Ogygia for you when I could have easily stayed behind! I jumped into Tartarus and walked through it for you! But I guess that wasn't _good enough_, was it?" By now, wind and rain were whipping down into the forest as Percy's emotions ran wild, threatening to cause a natural disaster.

I tried to step forward, but the wind picked me up and threw me backwards. I melted into a shadow just before I hit a tree, reappearing a little ways away from the group. If someone didn't stop the son of Poseidon soon, he would rip apart the entire camp. Annabeth and Roger cowered away from Percy's rage as the other campers and Chiron simply stood in awe of the green-eyed demigod's power. Suddenly, a voice rang out from the edge of the forest.

"Percy! That's enough!" The winds and rain suddenly stopped as Percy was tackled to the ground by a black-haired girl in a silver parka. Instead of attacking him, she simply hugged his arms to his side as his anger gave way to grief. After a moment, Percy spoke.

"Thals, I-"

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain. I know what happened. Just be quiet for a minute," Thalia answered.

She helped him to his feet, his green eyes downcast and tinged red. Thalia glared at Annabeth, but before she could say anything, a twelve year-old with auburn hair walked into view, followed by a few dozen other girls.

"Master Chiron," the lead girl said. "My father felt a disturbance in this area and sent us to investigate. Is everything alright?"

"Percy lost control of himself for a moment, but it appears young Miss Grace has restored his balance, Lady Artemis."

Artemis nodded. "Very well. Since it is so late, I suppose the Hunt will stay here for the night." All of the girls but Thalia began to complain. "I understand, girls, but it only for one night."

Chiron nodded.

"Now then, back to our original business. Axel, it appears the camp no longer wishes for you to remain here." I nodded slowly. Artemis's eyes widened as she recognized me from a few weeks ago.

"You! You are the demigod I have been searching for the past six weeks! You are to come with me to Olympus so that Lord Zeus may question you about your heritage and purpose!" she demanded.

I snorted. "You can tell your daddy that my name is Axel Pierce, son of Erebus." With that, I stepped backwards into a shadow and disappeared.

(Thalia POV)

When I saw Percy about to destroy the camp, I was a little awed. I knew he was powerful, but to cause a storm so big that it reached Zeus's attention was a little absurd. I managed to reach him just before he totally obliterated everything in a mile radius. I saw Annabeth standing with Percy's loser of a half-brother and I knew immediately what had happened. As I held him, he cried into my jacket. I stayed there with Percy for a moment, standing when I realized Artemis was arriving. I noticed the kid who had saved me from Heracles standing a little ways away from the group. My jaw dropped when Chiron announced that he had been banished from camp. Artemis recognized him too, and was about to take him to Olympus with her when he said something I was totally unprepared for.

"You can tell your daddy that my name is Axel Pierce, son of Erebus."

That definitely surprised me. I had met the first half-blood son of a primordial? I guess that explained why it was so easy for him to beat the crap out of Heracles. Artemis, however, was much less impressed with his dramatic departure than the rest of the camp.

"Everyone, gather round!" Artemis called. I noticed that Percy still had his arms around me, and that I kind of liked them there. Luckily, Artemis was too busy to notice.

"That boy who just ran away is the son of Erebus, in case you have not realized. The Olympian council has already been notified that the Primordial gods are on the rise once again. We do not know how many there will be, or when they will rise, but we do know that they will a major threat. We need to track down Axel Pierce in order to discover what his motives are in the upcoming war. Does anyone know where he might have gone?"

One half-blood spoke up. "He said he was born in Chicago."

"Then we must begin our search there," my mistress announced.

"But why, milady?" I asked her. Artemis looked at me with bewilderment.

"Why? The boy is a threat to us as long as he remains alive," she said plainly.

I shook my head. "He saved me from Heracles, milady. His intentions are not malevolent, and I will not hunt him simply because of who his father is."

Artemis's eyes grew wide with shock. "Are you disobeying a direct order?"

"Only if I must, milady," I replied with quiet determination, looking my mistress dead in the eye.

She hesitated, then spoke again. "All those who do not want to hunt Axel Pierce will stay behind and remain at Camp Half-Blood. However, you should all be warned: when he is brought before Olympus, those who have not assisted in capturing him will be judged according to his actions. If you would stay behind, step over by Chiron."

I was the only Hunter who refused to hunt Axel. I was joined by Percy, Clarisse, Chris, Travis, Connor, Nico, Will, and Katie. Everyone else moved towards Artemis, eager to hunt down the son of Erebus.

Percy shook his head in disgust. "Even if you do manage to capture him, you'll see that he has honorable intentions, unlike a few I could mention." He glared at Roger and Annabeth as he spoke.

"Enough, boy! Everyone, come to me. There is no time to waste!" With that, Artemis, the Hunters, and every other camper disappeared in a flash of light.


	7. I Make a New Friend

(Axel POV)

I wasn't really thinking about my destination when jumped into the shadow behind me, so I went to my default shadow travel point: Chicago, Illinois. As soon as I realized where I was, I swore quietly under my breath. I had told the campers where I came from, so there was no doubt they would come looking for me here in just a few minutes. Before I could travel away again, though, a javelin whistled by my head, breaking my concentration. I looked up to see a dozen Scythian dracanae and a large group of hellhounds running at me.

"We will erase you from existence, half-blood!" screeched the leading snake woman.

I laughed. "With aim like yours, you'll be lucky to erase the chalkboards after class."

The monsters snarled and ran at me. Before they made it to me, I drew two knives from my belt, throwing them both at the two closest dracanae. The knives lodged in their foreheads for a minute before the monsters dissolved into gold dust. I ducked under another dracanae's feeble javelin swipe, grabbed the weapon, and broke it in half over my knee. I stabbed both halves into my enemy's surprised throat, then drew my katana and tomahawk. I launched myself at the monsters, whirling around and delivering death with every blow. Before long, I was covered in monster dust and only one dracanae was left alive. She jumped at me, but I parried her strike and slammed my tomahawk into her skull. I had no time to congratulate myself on a job well done, though, because a new voice rang out from across the street.

"Axel Pierce! You are to come with us to Olympus to face judgement immediately! If you do not comply, we will hunt you down like the dog you are and imprison you for the rest of your days!"

I turned and saw Artemis staring at me. Behind her stood a force of campers and Hunters, nearly a hundred strong. I don't think the Hunt and Camp Half-Blood had ever been so united than when they got the chance to hunt me down.

"I am sorry, Lady Artemis, but I am slightly wary of the treatment I will receive when I arrive at Olympus. Many people have been treated unfairly by your father because of their parents' actions, as I'm sure you are aware of. Zoe Nightshade was a daughter of the Titan Atlas, was she not? Am I really that much different from her?" I called back to her.

Artemis's face grew red with anger. "Do not dare to bring my lieutenant into this! We are speaking about you, not her! Will you come to Olympus, or will you force me to drag you there?"

I shook my head. "One of the few beneficial things my father ever taught me was that unless I have no other option, I should never allow myself to be taken prisoner. If my fate is to be decided by any, I and I alone will determine its course."

"You give me no other choice, then," the irate goddess growled. "Heroes, capture the spawn of Erebus! Do not allow him to escape!"

At her command, the other half-bloods all ran at me. Knowing that I probably couldn't take on a hundred demigods and a goddess, I sprinted deeper into the city. The was my hometown; I was pretty sure I could lose them in the various alleys and back streets out Chicago. Plus, even though I had no intention of going to Olympus until I was good and ready, I didn't want the Greeks to see me as their enemy. Erebus was the real threat, and I would not allow Zeus's petty fears shift the Olympians' attention from my father to me.

After a few minutes of running, I ducked into an alley and willed the shadows to cover me, hiding my presence from the half-bloods. They came sprinting into the alley a moment later, and I heard them come to a stop.

"He's gone, Lady Artemis," one of the Hunters said.

The goddess was seething in rage. "I can see that Phoebe." She turned to the campers. "We need to split up. We can cover more ground that way." In a moment, she had the half-bloods divided into three groups. "I will return to Olympus to ask my father to block all forms of travel out of the city. People will be able to enter, but not leave. We will find this half-blood." With that, she flashed away. Two of the three groups instantly left the alley, but the third group, made up of all the Hunters, stayed behind. I smirked to myself. The safety off Olympus hangs in the balance, and the eternal Girl Scouts can't give up their prejudices. Well, they were in for a rude awakening. I allowed the shadows surrounding me to dissipate, revealing my presence to the Hunters.

"Hello, ladies," I said with a grin. "Aw, you all look just like my dog looks when I have to leave him behind somewhere."

Instantly, thirty bows were pointed in my direction. "You will pay for that insult, _boy,_" growled one of the Hunters. I laughed.

"Bring it on."

All at once, they released their arrows. Faking a yawn, I made a shield of swirling shadows rise up and block the arrows. I raised my hands and the shield split into separate tendrils of black energy, wrapping up Hunters and keeping them from moving. Just then, Artemis flashed back into the alley.

"Okay, girls, we need to-" her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. "HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY HUNTERS! RELEASE THEM AT ONCE!" she shrieked in rage.

I dropped my hands, allowing the Hunters to struggle free. Before Artemis could do anything else, I disappeared in a swirl of shadow.

Fortunately, I escaped from the Hunters. Unfortunately, I was trapped in Chicago with a hundred demigods who were after my blood and no plausible escape plan. Unfortunatelier (pardon my grammar), I dropped right into the middle of a group of them.

"There he is!"

"Get him! Don't let him escape!"

Whipping out my katana, I blocked a few spear strikes before sprinting away. Apollo's kids fired arrows at me as I ran, but I ducked and dodged around them, running deeper into the city. Thunder rumbled and rain started pouring down on my head, so I lifted up my enchanted hood to keep my head dry.

_Line Break_

And so, that's how I came to where I am now: all alone, hunted like an animal around the city for the past week. The camp had acquired vans to chase after me, and they were getting closer and closer every day. I hadn't eaten in days. I wasn't sure how much longer I could stay out of the Olympians' grasp.

To make matters worse, monsters were entering the city on a daily basis as well. The combined scent of over one hundred demigods was too powerful for any of them to ignore. Mine being the strongest, I usually faced anywhere from twenty to seventy monsters a day, along with all the times I had to fight off the other half-bloods. Without any allies to assist me, I was quickly running out of energy.

Of course, that was until I met _her_.

It was a regular day for me in Chicago, fighting off monsters to keep the mortals safe while trying to find some food or shelter. It was a routine battle with a pack of hellhounds that I could have finished off in my sleep on any other day. The only problem was that I hadn't gotten any sleep for nearly a week. My exhaustion caught up to me, and before I knew it, the hounds had pinned me down to the ground, katana and tomahawk flying off in different directions.

_Well_, I thought, _This is it. Lot of good all that training did. I can see it now: Axel Pierce, first son of Erebus, Primordial of Shadows, turned into dog chow by pack of hounds._ Suddenly, a wild yell broke me out of my thoughts. Before I could blink, a girl with dark red hair dressed in black armor had dived off the short roof of a nearby building and into the pack of hellhounds, two hunting knives out and spinning like a crazy whirlwind of metal. Before she hit the ground, several of the monsters had been turned into piles of dust. Sheathing the knives, she pulled out a medium-sized bow. For a minute, I thought she was a moron. Who uses a bow for close combat? That thought was quickly erased from my mind when she pulled on both sides of the bow, changing the weapon into two short blades that were similar to her knives, but had slightly more reach. In a flash, she darted in and out of the hellhounds, delivering death left and right. As she finished, one hound broke from the pack and tried to run away. Quick as a flash, she put the blades back together to form the bow again, drew an arrow from a quiver that suddenly appeared over her right shoulder, and fired. The gold arrow flew straight into the back of the monster's head, killing it instantly. With that, the bow morphed into a wolf pendant hanging around her neck. The girl spread her arms out and bowed low, smirking.

"Tada!"

Without thinking, I began to clap slowly. In all that had happened, I still hadn't gotten up off the ground. It had been nice to relax while someone else did the work for a change. The girl straightened up, the smirk not leaving her face. Humor glinted across her cool green eyes as she spoke again.

"Well, it seems the mighty Axel Pierce that I've heard so much about is really just a bum who gets beat up by a pack of dogs and needs help from a girl." I raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know about me? I don't know anything about you, which seems hardly fair to be honest," I shot back with a grin.

She stuck her tongue out at me. "And that's how it's gonna stay for a while." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to make up a name for you then," I replied. She rolled her eyes.

"Knock yourself out."

I looked up into the sky, concentrating deeply. "Let's see..." I trailed off as I thought as hard as I could. "Bingo! Until I know your real name, you'll be Lacey!" Her eyes widened for a moment, then returned to their regular state. I also registered a quick flash of surprise across her face. It was brief, but it was definitely there. "Wait a second. That is your real name isn't it? Oh man, I am too good at this," I chuckled.

She looked at me, more impressed than she was a moment ago. "That's just plain weird. How did you do that?"

I ignored her question. "Come on, for an amazing guess like that, you have to tell me who you are now. It's only fair."

She opened her mouth to retort when a voice boomed out from above us. "Lacey McLain! What is taking so long?"

She closed her eyes in frustration, then opened them again. "Well, I guess the secret's out. You might as well know since we're gonna be stuck together for a while." She paused, then spoke again.

"My name is Lacey McLain, and I am daughter of Lelantos, Titan of the Air and the Hunt."

**Hey guys, I know it's been a while since I've updated this story, so I am very sorry about that. It's been crazy the last week with college applications and lots of other stuff. But I am back! What do you think of Lacey? Let me know if you love her, hate her, or want her dead already. Thanks for all your support!**


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